Pocketed game board with pivoted closures



March 1, 1949. J. w. RENDEL POCKETED GAME BOARD WITH PIVOTED CLOSURESFiled April 2, 1945 Patented Mar. 1, 1949 OFFICE POCKETED GAME BOARDWITH PIVOTED CLOSUBES James W. Rendel, Gary, Ind.

Application April 2, 1945, Serial No. 586,134

Claims. 1

This invention relates to games, and has for its primary object toprovide a board type of game in which a principal feature is that thegame is played with playing pieces in the form of pins, preferably,which are inserted in openings having bottom closures which may bepositioned so as to provide a pin support when the cover is in registrywith the bottom of the holes, thus providing a support for a playingpiece, and means permitting the said covers to be articulately swungaside to open the bottom of the holes, so that the playing piece willhave no support whatever and fall thru into a trap below, thus resultingin the player losing one of his playing pieces.

A principal object of the game structure is to provide in a board game aseries of openings the bottom of which may be left open or closed, asdesired by the players, and permitting setting of certain holes in openor closed form in order to provide an element of variation and amusementto a game of this type.

Another object of the invention is to provide swingable cover members atthe bottom of the board structure which will permit removal of playingpieces subsequently to their having dropped thru the trap, yet the saidclosure is so arranged that the board will lie fiat on a levelsupporting surface.

Another object of my invention is to provide a simple game structure inwhich the play may be variable, and a structure of such simple elementalassemblage as to warrant economical manufacture in quantity production.

Other features, objects and advantages inherent in the invention can beunderstood from an examination of the accompanying drawings, havingparticular reference to the ensuing description wherein like symbols areused to designate like parts, and in which;

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the board structure comprising an importantunit of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 ofFigure 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary bottom view of Figure 2; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the playing pieces used inconnection with my invention.

Referring to the various figures, 5 generally designates my inventionwhich consists of a top board member l3, secured to two side supportingslat elements l4, and a central supporting strut element 20. The slatelements M are suitably recessed as at IS in order to accommodate thethickness of the swingable bottom closures, or covers l6, which areattached to the flexible or textile hinge element l8 which may besecured to the central strut member 20 by virtue of nails 2|. The coversit; will nest into the recesses IE on the slats l 4 to permit thecomposite board structure to lie flat on a horizontal supporting surfaceIT.

The bottom of the slat l4 may be provided with several carved outportions It to act as finger clearances in order to permit gripping thecovers l6 when it is desired to open the trap 22 in order to retrievethe playing pieces or pins II that have been lost, as will, hereinafter,be more clearly apparent.

The top board section i3 is provided with a series of openings 8 and theboard is of sufiicient thickness so that the light will not disclose tothe opponent player whether the bottom elements 9 are in position toprovide a supporting surface for the pins, or whether they have beenswung outwardly on the hinges l0 providing a trap, in which event aplayer placing his playing piece or pin H in such a hole would lose hisplaying piece, because if it has no support in the hole 8 it would fallthru into the trap 22.

The swinging closures 9 are, preferably, made of a transparent materialso that no refraction or reflection of light would be noticeable toplayers (A) and (B) sitting on opposite sides, and each one playing inone of the sections designated 6 or 1, preferably player (A) would movehis playing pieces on section 6, whereas player (B) moves his playingpieces on section 1. Player (A) sets his trapping combination by movinga series of covers 9 to provide through openings for a number of holes 8so as to trap his opponent that may make his move in those openings,whereas player (B) sets the cover of openings on section nearest to him,thus each player has conveniently near him the holes that he wishes toset for his opponent without the opponents knowledge, and at the sametime each player plays the section furthest from him so no light effectsof any kind will ermit the player to have vision to the bottom of theholes in which he is to make his move.

The game may be played with a number of pins assigned to each player,and the first player to lose all his pins or playing pieces will havelost the game.

The pins may also be designated with particular numerical designationsor carvings, such as, for an army game, there would be privates andofiicers and various rules may be adopted so that when one player firstloses his commanding officer he has lost the game, whereas if he losesall his privates or his entire army, he may have lost the game.

The rules are subject to a great many variations. The element ofinterest and amusement is retained in the game in view of the fact thatthe player can vary the setting of the openings 8 so as to provide anumber of open bottom holes, various permutations and combinations ofopen holes being available which may be arranged at different parts ofthe sections 6 and l at will, so that the opponent player will neverknow what will be a safe move or what move will constitute a trap,wherein he might lose one of his playing pieces. The pins H arecylindrical and are provided with a tapered portion 2 to facilitatetheir entry into holes 8.

Altho, I have herein described rather succinctly the nature andoperation of my invention, yet it is understood that it may besusceptible of various modifications, and improvements, hence I reservethe right to all such modifications and improvements coming within thescope and spirit of my invention, as Well as those lying within theimplications of the accompanying drawings, also those falling within thepurview of the foregoing description.

Having thus described and revealed my invention, what I claim as noveland desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A game comprising a board structure consisting of a top elementsubdivided into two playing zones, each zone provided with amultiplicity of drilled openings, two slat elements secured to oppositesides of the said top element, a strut element secured to the center ofthe said top element, flexible hinge means secured to the said strutelement, covers secured to said flexible hinge means defining trapsbetween the said slat elements and the said strut element, andindependent, individual closures pivotably secured to the underneathsurface of the said top ele mentbelow each of the said drilled openings.

2. A game comprising a board structure consisting of a top elementsubdivided into two playing zones, each zone provided with amultiplicity of drilled openings, two slat elements secured to oppositesides of the said top element, the said slat elements being grooved, astrut element secured to the center of the said top element, flexiblehinge means secured to the said strut element, covers secured to saidflexible hinge means defining traps between the said slat elements and 4sures pivotably secured to the underneath surface of the said topelement below each of the said drilled openings.

3. A game comprising a board structure consisting of a top elementsubdivided into two playing zones, each zone provided with amultiplicity of drilled openings, two slat elements secured to oppositesides of the said top element, the said slat elements being providedwith grooves, the said slat elements being further provided with cut outfinger clearance portions adjacent the said grooves, a strut elementsecured to the center of the said top element, flexible hinge meanssecured to the said strut element, covers secured to said articulatemeans defining traps between the said slat elements and the said strutelement, the said covers having their free edges fit flush in thegrooves in the said slat elements, and independent individual closurespivotably secured to the underneath surface of the said top elementbelow each of the said drilled openings.

l. In a game, a board structure comprising, a top element subdividedinto two playing zones, each zone provided with a multiplicity ofdrilled openings, two slat elements secured to opposite sides of thesaid top element, a strut element secured to the center of the said topelement, flexible hinge means secured to the said strut element, andcovers secured to the said flexible hinge means defining traps betweenthe said slat elements and the said strut element.

5. In a game, a board structure comprising, a top element subdividedinto two playing zones, each zone provided with a multiplicity ofdrilled openings, two slat elements secured to opposite sides of thesaid top element, a strut element secured to the center of the said topelement, flexible hinge means secured to the said strut element, coverssecured to the said flexible hinge the said strut element, the saidcovers having 55 means defining traps between the said slat elements andthe said strut element, and independent individual closures pivotablysecured to the underneath surface of the said top element below each ofthe said drilled openings.

JAMES W. RENDEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 237,053 Schumaker Jan. 25, 1381626,863 Flack June 13, 1899 1,850,420 Schuldt Mar. 22, 1932 2.219546Petersen Oct. 29, 1940

